Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 3 January 2025

Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 3 January 2025

As we welcome 2025, we extend our warmest wishes to all immigration advisors for a prosperous and successful year ahead. The new year has already brought significant developments in UK immigration, with fresh statistics from the last quarter of 2024 and policy changes marking the direction of immigration practice. 

Small boat crossings across the English Channel have seen a significant increase in 2024, with provisional Home Office figures revealing 36,816 arrivals – a 25% rise from 2023. While these numbers remain below the numbers reported in 2022, the continuing surge has prompted new legislative responses from the government.

The urgency for enhanced border security measures has been underscored by a tragic incident near Calais, where three individuals lost their lives attempting to board an overcrowded vessel. The most recent incident reported stated 48 people being rescued and marked 2024 as the deadliest year for Channel crossings.

In response to these challenges, the government is set to introduce a new border security bill. The legislation will implement stringent measures against suspected people smugglers, including phone and social media restrictions, alongside travel bans. These interim orders can be enforced before conviction, representing a significant shift in tactical approach to combat illegal migration.

The sophistication of migration networks has been highlighted by reports of social media being used to circumvent immigration enforcement. Vietnamese communities, particularly within the nail salon sector, have been found using platforms like Facebook to share real-time updates about Home Office raids, particularly during Operation Tornado.

The government has announced updates to Seasonal Worker route. The scheme, now extended until 2029, will provide 45,000 visas for 2025, with the majority allocated to the horticulture sector. Notably, the updated guidance emphasises that sponsorship licenses will be restricted to DEFRA-endorsed scheme operators, excluding individual employers from direct sponsorship.

Considering these significant developments in both illegal and legal migration policy, staying informed and equipped has never been more crucial for immigration practitioners. HJT’s upcoming Birmingham Immigration Law Conference 2025 offers a timely opportunity to deepen your understanding of these changes and enhance your practice. 

Join experts Mark Symes, David Jones, Adam Pipe and Sacha Wooldridge for an intensive four-hour session that will address the practical implications of these developments, from challenging visitor refusals to managing complex PBS cases. With the immigration policies continuing to evolve rapidly in 2025, this conference promises to deliver valuable insights and proven strategies to help you navigate these changes effectively. 

For more information and or to book, visit here 
For more information on our other live online courses, visit here

For enquiries and FREE DEMO, contact us enquiries@hjt-training.co.uk or call 075441 64692.

For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, please see below 

Immigration News

Suspected people smugglers to face travel curbs and social media bans under bill – The Guardian

Suspected people traffickers will face phone bans, social media blocks and travel restrictions under new interim orders that can be in place before any conviction, which ministers say will drastically speed up curbs on activity. The crackdown will form part of the government’s border security bill expected to be published in the coming weeks, amid new highs in the number of people arriving in the UK in 2024. 

For full report, click here

Illegal migrants use social media to dodge Home Office raids – The Telegraph
Illegal foreign workers have been found to be using social media in attempt to evade a surge in raids by Home Office immigration officers. Vietnamese migrants working in nail salons are posting on social media to warn others that officers have targeted shops in their area. 

Hundreds of warning posts have been uploaded, including one on a Vietnamese Facebook site that reads: “The Home Office and taxmen have been checking around Cardiff. Everyone, immediately avoid the area.” Other migrants are offering a service to keep a lookout for officers who are cracking down on illegal working as part of the nationwide effort Operation Tornado.

For full report, click here 

Tory focus on immigration helped stoke riots, equalities committee chair says – The Guardian 

The Conservative government’s relentless focus on small boat crossings and delays processing asylum claims played a role in stoking August’s UK riots, the chair of the Commons equalities committee has said.

For full report, click here

UK small boat arrivals in 2024 up 25% compared with previous year – The Guardian

A total of 36,816 people made the journey in 2024, a jump of 25% from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, according to provisional Home Office figures, but lower than the record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

For full report, click here

Three people die and 48 rescued near Calais attempting to cross Channel – The Guardian

Three people have died after falling from an overcrowded small boat trying to cross from France to the UK, as 2024 became the deadliest year on record for perilous sea crossings. The boat ran into trouble at about 6am on Sunday near Blériot-Plage, a public beach in Sangatte close to the French Channel port of Calais, emergency services said. Several people fell into the water trying to board the overcrowded vessel.

For full report, click here

More than 150,000 people arrived in UK in small boats in last seven years – The Guardian

Labour has blamed the Tories for leaving an “appalling legacy of border security” after figures showed more than 150,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats since 2018. The milestone was reached after Home Office figures confirmed that at least 850 people landed in small boats on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

For full report, click here

Labour government discussed Tanzania asylum camp plan in 2004, files show – The Guardian

Tony Blair’s government discussed diverting £2m earmarked to prevent conflict in Africa in order to fund a controversial pilot scheme to process and house asylum-seekers in Tanzania, newly released government files show.

Under the scheme, Britain would have offered Tanzania an extra £4m in aid if it opened an asylum camp to house people claiming to be Somalian refugees while their applications to live in Britain were assessed.

For full report, click here

Pupil barrister suspended from practice over skeleton argument – Law Gazette
A First-Six pupil barrister called in July 2023, was found to have ‘looked at and was influenced by her supervisor’s work when she should not have’ when carrying out a pupil exercise. As a result, she produced a skeleton argument that was ‘very similar’ to her supervisor’s.

For full report, click here 

CASE LAW 

The King (on the application of SS) v Entry Clearance Officer – Tribunal Decisions

The Upper Tribunal dismissed a judicial review challenging a UK visa refusal, ruling that the applicant failed to prove both that he had established private life rights in the UK and that the refusal had seriously damaged his reputation under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

For full decision, click here 

Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates

Guidance: Student route: caseworker has been updated on 02nd January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: India tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa has been updated on 01st January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Sponsor a seasonal worker has been updated on 01st January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Sponsor a worker sponsor guidance part 2 has been updated on 01st January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor a Government Authorised Exchange Worker has been updated on 01st January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors students has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors workers has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Overview: Indefinite leave to remain if your partner dies has been uploaded. To view overview click here

Overview: Check a tenant’s right to rent in England: use their share code has been uploaded. To view overview, click here

Guidance: Check your eVisa is correct before you travel has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Apply for a Student sponsor licence has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Biometric residence permits: applicant and sponsor information has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Article 10 and 20 residence cards has been updated on on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Immigration status checks guidance for banks and building societies has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for Sponsor’s part 3: sponsor duties and compliance has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Workers and Temporary Workers – guidance for Sponsor’s part 1: apply for a licence has been updated on on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Sponsor a Skilled Worker has been updated on 31st December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Registering under special circumstances: caseworker guidance has been updated on 30th December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Ghana: country policy and information notes has been updated on 30th December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) has been updated on 27th December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Biometric information: caseworker has been updated on 27th December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Ethiopia: country policy and information notes has been updated 27th December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Botswana: country policy and information notes has been updated on 27th December 2024. To view the the updated Guidance, click here

Collection: Country policy and information notes has been updated on 27th December 2024. To view the updated Collection, click here

Guidance: Deporting foreign nationals on conducive grounds: caseworker has been updated on 27th December 2024. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Written by Shareen Khan 

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